In the wake of some initial excitement and then a community in uproar, we tracked down Valve's meeting room at this year's E3 to hear it from the zombie horse's mouth, so to speak. And managed to grab writer, Chet Faliszek, to talk about all things gumbo, swampy and sequelly (I know that's not a word, too).

pro-tip: don't compare your game to the orange box, TF2's value alone puts the fully priced L4D to shame. also patting yourself on the back for adding missing features and bug-fixing is rather lame. they are kidding themselves this is anything more than an expansion pack that was promised as free content before L4D was even released.

Five campaigns through massive levels with a far more intense array of characters and a meaner director aren't an expansion. I'd say, the setting and minimalist concept of the first game compared to this, is the expansion.

After talking to Chet and seeing the game I can see what happened. They got excited - started adding new features and ideas and couldn't stop. No one knew the first game was going to be the success it was, and I doubt that they'll just up and release L4D3 Xmas 2010, and as Chet said, they haven't stopped supporting the first game - in fact he kind of potentially gives away, by the Orange Box comparison, that it's likely this will ship with the first game (or at least even more content) included as free added value, similarly to adding in HL2 and Ep 1 - but that's my speculation

lol I expected a 'Steve' to be older, but anyways I think this is only just going to be a new game, it's in between an expack and new title, it's just missing the new engine component, the rest is there. Still, I'm keen.